Honkai Impact: Grandma Pine Sparrow is still chasing me!

Chapter 396 Peaches and Pears

When Qiong opened her eyes again, she found herself lying in a wheat field.

Wait, another wheat field? Does that mean I've ended up in that place again?

Sunlight streamed through the clouds onto his face. Qiong rubbed his eyes, trying to recall what had happened—he had left Himeko's office early because of the quill pen to go find Xiaoxing at Baiji, then he was ambushed by Leiera, and finally, probably because of the quill pen, he temporarily escaped Leiera's clutches...

Speaking of which, that pink-haired beauty named Xi Lian, who helped me a lot, claimed to be from Onfaros. But what does the Feathered Dust that Kiana created have to do with Onfaros? Could it be because Kiana's "Node Descent" was caused by her having to meet Fuli?

A visitor from the wrong time? Or a consciousness derived from the pirated Feather of the End, like Void Treasury and Prometheus?

"You guessed half right?"

A slightly tired voice came from behind her. Qiong immediately sat up and turned around to see a little girl sitting on a swing, swinging her legs. Her pink hair shone softly in the sunlight, contrasting sharply with the golden wheat fields around her.

"I originally thought it would be a long time before we could meet again. I have to thank Miss Kiana for making it possible for us to meet regularly! Oh, right, I am indeed a visitor at the wrong time, but I am not a derivative consciousness of Feather Dust."

"Miss Xi Lian, you... have shrunk?"

Xi Lian: ...

Looking at Qiong's focus, Xi Lian tilted her head and gave a smile that was hard to decipher.

"In short, if we follow the most authoritative classification by Teacher Xia, it should be a pink mammal?"

"What a strange classification..."

Qiong's sarcastic remark made Xi Lian giggle, and the swing swayed gently with her movements.

"Is it strange? But that's the truth."

Little Xi Lian blinked, her expression suddenly turning somewhat nostalgic.

“In Onfaros, people have many other names for her: Lianbao, Little Lian, and Pink Little… never mind, let’s not talk about those.”

As she spoke, she jumped off the swing and walked to Qiong. Xi Lian put her hands behind her back and leaned out to look at Qiong, who was still sitting on the ground—the sunlight outlined a pink halo behind her, making the scene seem even more unreal.

"Compared to all that, I still prefer you calling me Xilian, my friend. Now get up from the ground!"

Xiao Xilian reached out her hand, her fingertips touching Qiong's outstretched hand. The moment they touched, Qiong suddenly pulled his hand back as if he had been electrocuted.

For some reason, the moment he touched Xi Lian, he seemed to see Mei's smiling face.

"Thank you, but no need, I can do it myself!"

Qiong rolled over and stood up. His intuition told him that this girl, who looked eight parts like Alicia, might be disturbing his Dao heart...

A sheer cliff, towering a thousand feet high! Earth-shaking and awe-inspiring! Indestructible! As firm as a rock! Solid as a fortress! Embracing all! The laws of nature prevail! This is the way of Heaven! Heaven moves all things!

Qiong silently recited a series of four-character phrases to distract himself. Xiao Xilian, seeing his alarmed expression, burst out laughing.

"Hey buddy, why are you so nervous? He just helped you... Of course, I won't take advantage of your kindness, and I certainly won't eat you."

She tilted her head, her short pink hair fluttering in the wind.

"But what you were thinking just now... was quite interesting. It reminded me of one of your friends."

Qiong patted the grass clippings off her body, avoiding looking directly into the girl's beautiful eyes.

"My friend?"

"Hmm, those you're thinking of are exactly the demigods of the earth!"

It seems that because of the unique nature of this place, Xi Lian can read what Qiong is thinking—just like Cesis (Calypso) and Teacher Naksha, but the other way around…

Soon, a scene appeared in Qiong's mind: Dan Heng walking alone in the desolate wilderness, his back view desolate.

"For him, he searched for a long time, and everything he did, including becoming like this, was ultimately about bringing you home..."

A hint of reminiscence flashed in Xi Lian's eyes, but she quickly regained her playful expression.

"But it's too early to talk about that now! Aren't you curious why we're back at the Elegant Secret Pavilion?"

"Danheng...Aili Secret Pavilion?"

One second Qiong was still shocked by Dan Heng's wandering in the wilderness searching for himself, the next moment he was forced to observe his surroundings: golden wheat fields rippled in the breeze, and in the distance, the outline of a familiar cottage could be vaguely seen.

"That's right, this is a special space formed by the intertwining of your consciousness and the power of Feather Dust, the Ai Li Secret Pavilion!"

Xi Lian tiptoed and gently tapped Qiong's forehead.

"Thanks to Kiana's 'Node Descent,' I was able to use that one glance to come to your side and meet you. However..."

Xi Lian abruptly stopped speaking, and the entire wheat field trembled slightly. The clouds in the sky distorted unnaturally, and the distant scenery began to blur.

"However, the problem is that replenishing the power of time here is too slow. Every time you use it, I have to wait a long time. At first, I wanted to ask Teacher Naka to communicate with you, but Miss Kiana interrupted me with a slap..."

Parts of the landscape began to become transparent, including the small Xilian.

"It seems like things are about to fall apart again. I was hoping to get everyone to meet with you and have a proper talk..."

Xi Lian looked at the bewildered Qiong with some reluctance.

"But it's okay, we shouldn't have to wait too long before we meet again. Then, I'll tell you that romantic story slowly! Hmm, this story will probably take a very long time to tell..."

The premise is that Sora remembers and did not use the quill pen, and even took the quill pen out to play with it.

"Anyway... thank you."

Although they weren't close, Qiong's intuition told him that this kind-hearted girl named Xi Lian was definitely not a fan-turned-black-hearted person. Moreover, the fact that she, a suspected future visitor, was willing to lend him a helping hand meant that he should sincerely thank her—he really didn't know how to repay her.

"Hmm? Partner, do you want to repay me?"

Xi Lian blinked and gave a sweet smile.

"If you really want to repay me, um... then remember to eat on time, sleep well, and be sure to eat plenty of fruit, especially peaches, pears, and apricots! Eat more for me and Teacher Naka..."

After all... peaches (friends), pears and apricots (rationality) are delicious.

"Who exactly is Teacher Xia at that moment?"

"It's Anaxagoras."

Wan Di once said that there's a proverb in Xuanfeng City: "A warrior who wants to be a general must first be an excellent chef." In Xi Lian's understanding, that means everyone needs to be well-fed to have motivation. How can someone like Qiong, who hasn't been sleeping well lately and has no appetite, possibly have any motivation?

A smile appeared on Xi Lian's lips, and her body became increasingly transparent.

She felt that telling her past friends everything might change history—of course, this could also be understood as her own selfish motives.

Qiong had mentioned to her that, given enough time, there was a theoretical possibility of creating a new world and destroying the Iron Tomb without sacrificing her as the cause of Fuli's reversal of cause and effect. However, this would require the help of a person named Otto Apocalypse from distant Earth and several messengers capable of addressing the Iron Tomb at its root...

Back then, he said there was a "possibility" after his senior, Mr. Walter, returned home. Now that Sora is on Earth, could she wait until the time is right and ask Sora for help...?

It's such a selfish request, I'm a little embarrassed to say it...

"Oh, and remember to protest to that Himeko-neechan for me! No one can resist pink! It's as passionate as a heartbeat, as gentle as flower petals, and like my eyes—it's the underlying color of 'love'! I'm looking forward to your arrival..."

Xi Lian's voice faded into the distance, and the entire space rapidly disintegrated. Qiong felt a powerful downward pull; before Xi Lian's last figure completely disappeared, she mouthed a few final words to him:

See you tomorrow.

Qiong reached out, trying to grab something, but only grasped at thin air. As Xi Lian disappeared, the entire Ai Li Secret Pavilion began to collapse rapidly.

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"Kiana, you can't sleep in on the first day of your holiday!"

Theresa, who tries to make up for Kiana's lack of maternal love by acting as her aunt, exudes maternal tenderness. She sits by her eldest niece's bedside, looks down at her sleeping face, puts down Judah, and gently strokes Kiana's sleeping face with her small hand, trying to wake her from her dream with gentle words.

"Ugh... Mei, no! I'm so sleepy, let me sleep a little longer..."

Kiana, who was being touched by Theresa's small hand, was gradually awakened from her sweet dream, but the word "Mei" that she mentioned made Theresa's face darken.

"Kiana, it's me, not Mei."

Hearing the shouts, Kiana stirred in bed and made indistinct sounds.

"Excuse me... please let me sleep for another five minutes, Aunt Himeko..."

"It's me, your aunt!"

"Just let me sleep for five more minutes, Aunt Flo..."

Theresa took a deep breath, and a small tic-tac-toe mark appeared on her forehead.

"Kiana!"

Theresa grabbed Judas, who was lying to the side, and slammed it heavily on the ground. With a loud bang, the entire bed shook three times.

"Whoa! Was there an earthquake?!"

Kiana sprang out of bed instantly, wide awake. With her messy white hair, she looked around in panic until she saw Theresa's smiling face shrouded in dark energy.

"Auntie?! What are you doing with Judas?!"

"Of course I'll wake up my lovely niece."

Theresa's forced smile gave Kiana the feeling that she was about to be attacked by Judas.

"Would you like to try out Judas's alarm clock method?"

"No need, no need! I'm awake! I'm really awake!"

Kiana scrambled off the bed and frantically began changing her clothes. Theresa stood by, arms crossed, watching her niece's disheveled state, and sighed helplessly.

"Honestly, you promised Bronya and Seele you'd have your first team training together, how could you forget?"

"Training camp... Oh right, that's right!"

Kiana quickly recalled the unpleasant team assignments from the previous night.

"I'll be right there!"

Kiana changed into her white dress with astonishing speed and rushed into the bathroom. Three minutes later, a completely refreshed Kiana appeared before Theresa, sporting the same high ponytail as Raiden Mei. Although her hairstyle was still a bit messy because it wasn't tied properly, she looked radiant.

"Auntie, let's go!"

Theresa stood still, simply watching her with her new hairstyle.

Kiana.

Theresa's voice suddenly softened.

"Promise me you won't use being close to Mei as an excuse to be so... cough cough, you know what I mean, okay?"

Kiana blinked; she didn't understand.

"Auntie, what do you mean? Um, did Dead Gray Hair come back last night?"

Theresa sighed, a "I knew it" look on her face—if it were that easy to persuade Kiana to change her mind in just a few words, would that even be a problem!

"Qiong spent the night at Teacher Bai's place last night, and she's probably getting ready to go to the training ground for intensive training now..."

Theresa paused, her eyes suddenly filled with worry.

"Anyway, please don't use Mei as an excuse to go near Sora again, okay?"

Kiana pouted when she saw Theresa.

"What are you thinking, Auntie? Do you think I'm that kind of person? I wish I could kick that dead gray hair away right now and report to the fifth squad in his place!"

"You are!"

Theresa crossed her arms, ready to recount Kiana's repeated attempts to dismantle Sonobe's "crimes".

But before she could say anything, Kiana had already rushed out of the room like a gust of wind.

"I'm leaving now, Auntie! I can't keep everyone waiting!"

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Raiden Mei, who believed that she had to be the first to arrive at the first training camp to show her attitude, was surprised to find that someone had already arrived at the training ground. The person who had arrived was none other than the Valkyrie Anna Schariac, who always wore a black beret.

When Mei arrived, Anna Schariac was standing in the center of the training field, gripping a training rifle tightly in one hand and a steamed bun and fried dough stick in the other...

She kept turning her heels, and a few strands of chestnut hair peeking out from under her black beret swayed gently as she looked around.

"Qiong, you've come..."

Hearing the noise and assuming it was Sora, Anna turned around and her words abruptly stopped. Her prepared explanation (that she had accidentally bought too much breakfast and shared it with Sora, who hadn't trained early and was probably too lazy to get up early, so she had rushed over without eating) suddenly seemed inappropriate. She looked around. Indeed, there were only the two of them in the entire training ground.

"Morning..."

Anna adjusted her tone and looked at Raiden Mei in front of her—in Mei's palm, there was also a breakfast that was obviously more than a normal person's, consisting of steamed buns and fried dough sticks...

Mei also noticed the similarity between the food in their hands, and for a moment, the atmosphere became a little awkward.

"Miss Anna..."

Mei, who is Sora's girlfriend, broke the silence first and did not immediately start to question her—what if Anna, like Kiana, is also the kind of big eater who can eat without gaining weight?

"Um, excuse me, what about your breakfast..."

"Um, actually I... probably..."

Anna smiled with a troubled expression.

Bronya deduced that this was reserve food. The training camp had greatly depleted their physical strength, so this should be Miss Anna's reserve food.

Bronya?

Mei turned around and saw Bronya and Seele walking into the training field.

"No...that's right! It's reserve grain!"

After an initial slight awkwardness, the four of them began to wait for the three who had not yet arrived: Sora, Kiana, and Himeko Murata, the person in charge of the training camp.

Unsurprisingly, Mei and Seele stood on either side of Bronya, leaving Anna all alone watching. Anna, too, had no idea how to deal with "the girlfriend whom Sora herself acknowledged but not Sora's mother recognized"...

Ugh... I can't find a breakthrough anytime soon! And to make matters worse, she was added to the team too. Should I...?

"Miss Anna, what are you thinking about?"

Anna was pulled back to reality by Mei's voice, and she smiled somewhat flusteredly.

"No... I wasn't thinking anything. We're all friends, just call me Anna!"

Before becoming a fully-fledged A-rank Valkyrie, she wouldn't dare let a reserve Valkyrie call her, someone who once deserted in the face of battle, "senior"...

Except for Qiong, as long as he acknowledges that he is a senior, that's fine.

By the way, Sora said that it was Mei who pursued him, right?

A bold idea popped into Anna's mind.

"Miss Mei."

Mei, who was chatting and laughing with Bronya and Seele, looked at Anna.

"I heard you're the only heterosexual person in all of St. Freya... Please, teach me how to fall in love!"

She had heard that because of her relationship with Sora, Raiden Mei was in a class of her own among the legends of St. Freya's Far East Branch—the Camille of Love!

Otherwise, with such a large "garden," would it be reasonable for Qiong Qing, at such a young age, to only focus on picking that one flower?

It's perfectly reasonable for her to ask the only person in all of St. Freya with dating experience for advice on dating skills, right?

Let's learn her skills first, and we can deal with the rest later...

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I pulled for Venti instead of Ayato a few years ago, and now I'm finally getting buffed?

As long as the version is sufficient, an upgrade is inevitable...